Thursday, September 23, 2010
Miscellaneous 26
1) While I agree with my liberal colleagues that a large chunk of these new Republican candidates is exceedingly poor, I'm still not precisely sure what the Democratic message is. It almost sounds as if they're saying that, "yeah, we're piss-poor, but those Republicans bastards are even more piss-poor/you think that things are bad now, wait until those knuckle-dragging Tea Partiers take over/etc.." Of course, what in the hell else can they say. "We" just spent 862 billion dollars on a stimulus package and 1) the unemployment rate is still close to 10% (yeah, maybe it would have been higher without it - the stimulus - but, still, wasn't it the Dems who said that it wouldn't go over 8%?) and 2) the infrastructure is still crumbling. Add to that the fact that it was a Democratic President who recently sent 30,000 American youngsters into that grinder over in Afghanistan and, yeah, maybe pointing out the depravity of clowns like Angle and O'Donneell IS the best strategy. I guess that we'll just have to see.......2) Sean Hannity engages in what I can only refer to as journalistic prestidigitation. I'm serious. This is a guy, folks, who can literally dice and slice and rearrange the footage he has to basically prove anything. The latest example of this occurred just the other night. He showed a clip of President Obama's recent town-hall meeting. It showed this guy asking Mr. Obama a question. It then showed a later clip (post the meeting) in which the same guy lamented the fact that the President "didn't really answer my question. You know what the footage didn't show? It didn't show the actual answer from the President. So, no, we really don't know if the President adequately answered the question or not. Hey, maybe the guy who asked the question wasn't predisposed to liking ANY answer from the President. And, yes, thanks to Mr. Hannity here, we're only left to speculate.......3) University of Miami quarterback, Jacory Harris, is a huge talent. This fellow, despite being a little on the frail side, has a major-league arm - both in terms of strength and accuracy. But for some inexplicable reason, he also has a penchant to throw interceptions; 17 last season and 6 already this year (3 games). I don't know, maybe it's an overconfidence thing (the dreaded Bret Favre syndrome), thinking that he's capable of threading the needle on virtually every throw. Or maybe it's just a maturity thing (the fellow never got a chance to red-shirt). Whatever it is, he had better clear it up pronto. This, folks, in that it's not only hurting him, it's hurting the team (last year it cost him the Clemson and North Carolina games, this year the Ohio State game).
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27 comments:
Piss-poor is what you get from Conservative and Moderate Democrats when the economy is in the dumper. They look good when the economy is booming (Clinton), but when attempting to recover from near-depression FDR-type progressive polices are what is called for. In the opinion of a "my-way-or-the highway" Liberal, in any case.
Only in the ivory tower world of doctrinaire liberalism would a 862 billion dollar stimulus bill be seen as insufficient. And, really, if deficit spending were in fact the key to prosperity, wouldn't we already be the greatest economy ever?
Yes, that makes perfect sense. It's a large number, therefore it must be enough to do the job. Thanks for pointing that out. Clearly you must have a degree in economics. In any case, deficits don't matter. That's what Reagan taught us, remember? Even with your fancy degree you seem to have forgotten that well known axiom.
Reagan (who I only gave a B minus to, btw, when I was grading the Presidents) said something like, "The deficit is big enough to take care of itself." It was an idiotic thing that he never should have uttered. Of course, it wasn't even half as stupid as when Dick Cheney said that "Deficits don't matter.".....wd, if you're looking for a person who likes to give Republicans an easy ride, you've definitely come to the wrong place.
It seems every 15 or 20 years Americans take liberalism out for a bit of a spin then quickly realize the damn thing does'nt ride so good and back in the garage it goes....on blocks with a cover on it.
I disagree,Rusty.Many Americans thought they were getting liberalism when they elected Obama but instead got an extension of the Bush years.
We still haven't gotten that test ride and barring the arrival of a third party it's not likely to be coming any time soon.
Will, I agree with w-dervish. The Stimulus was about 1/4 of what it should have been to bridge the gap between what we produce, and what we could produce at full employment.
Our deficit spending is hella big now, but mostly due to the failing economy. loss of jobs = loss of their tax revenue as well as increased unemployment insurance/food stamps.At the point when the economy picks up, increased employment/tax revnue and decreased transfer payments will close the deficit.
Not talking debt mind you, just deficit.
I spent two months in Florida recently.While there I did two days at a phone bank in a campaign office.In the past I'd contributed money to a candidate but this I've never done before.
The person I voluteered for was a young,smart,energetic,Cuban-American senatorial candidate named Marco Rubio.
In my opinion not only will he win this election in a landslide but you're looking at a future president.He is one of the most impressive people you could ever meet.A solid citizen,with a great family and good values.
Perhaps you have'nt noticed but the leftwing attack engine has'nt said a word about Mr.Rubio....hmm,wonder why.
I'm guessing WD or one of the other leftys will have something negative to say about him,but as usual they will be talking out their asses.
Watch Fox on the evening of Nov.2 when Marco Rubio gives his victory speech,and watch again when he gives the keynote address at the Republican convention in Tampa in 2012.
Rusty, what frustrates me is both sides have their attack engines and so often they go on the attack without studying their "quarry".
I've heard his name but don't know anything about him (Rubio).
Both sides seem to take pot shots at Ron Paul, although markedly more from the left. Personally I side with Paul more than almost any other politician.
Thanks for the comments, gentlemen. I will examine them more closely after din-din.
I totally agree with you Oso.Judge the candidate not the attacks.
Hey,Oso if you like Ron Paul you must also support Rand.
I think we all agree this is a "throw the bums out" midterm election coming up in Nov..
As an example of the democratic circular firing squad look no further then today.Six weeks from election day and what does the dem controlled congress do.They invite Steven Colbert (in caracter mind you) to testify before a sub-committee on immigration.Wont the voters between the mountains think that cute.
Hi Rusty,
You know I liked Rand better before he ran for office. His message was more in line with his father, although I understand running for statewide office he had to compromise somewhat.
I was very frustrated with the Maddow interview, she made her point and should have dropped it. Rand has a lot of good things to say but she just kept hammering away at that one thing.
Rusty,
I was surprised by the Colbert thing. To be completely honest, I enjoy his show and agree with his message.
However as you point out,it will play very badly "between the mountains".
At best it's a miscalculation, at worst it's arrogant and stupid and really plays into that "Hollywood Liberal" dynamic.
example, I'm a California liberal from a family of California liberals.We've been nothing but working class all our lives and in many ways have much in common with working class tea party folks. Yet misconceptions/manipulations by the media have us at each others throats.
Better if we were united at the banker and Wall St guys throats.
John Conyers,a guy I have nothing in common with had the good sense when he asked Colbert to leave the room prior to Colbert telling he him was there at the invatation of the chairperson.I mean honestly,someone high up in congress had to approve this stupid stunt.The dems are six weeks away from getting their asses handed to them,you'd think they would show some common sense.
To top it off the senate does'nt vote on the tax cuts.WTF,they have a majority in both houses.
Gentlemen, our colleague, Truth, made a comment a while back that really resonated with me. He said (and, yes, I'm paraphrasing) that it isn't so much about big government or small government. It's about smart government. And, yeah, that's what bugged me most about the stimulus package - not necessarily so much the size of it, but the idiotic way it was put together (not enough infrastructure spending, no payroll tax holiday, and way, WAY, too much pure/wasteful idiocy). And also let us not forget here - it was Bush, with those pointless and wasteful $600 rebate checks who started this road to "stimulating" the economy. He has to take some of the blame for the deficit, too.
Let me take a minute to defend Mr. Colbert here. Yes, when I first saw the clips, I, too, had a similar reaction - what a waste of the Congress's time, etc.. But what I now realize is that those clips were extracted from a larger testimony in which Mr. Colbert did in fact make a lot of serious points. And, yes, being that Mr. Colbert is smarter than 99.9% of the people in Washington, I really don't have a problem with him speaking there......Oh, and, yes, didn't that Duke Cunningham have some Sesame Street character testify before Congress? I definitely seem to recall that (and no outrage from Hannity, Fox and Friends, etc.).
Yea Will,they had Elmo there,but it was'nt weeks before a mid-term election where they are about to get their clocks cleaned.
Will,how do you think mom and pop in Des Moines Iowa are going to feel about Colbert in front of congress?
I honestly would be surprised if mom 'n pop in des moines aren't fooled by him.
Rusty, Oso, you guys gotta realize here. Other than maybe watching old youtube clips of Ann Miller and Cyd Charisse dancing, there isn't a lot that amuses me more than Mr. Colbert (I mean, come on, that dead-pan delivery alone)......As for whether it was good strategy on the Dems part to have brought him there, you may in fact be right about that, Russ.
You know, I think I'll take w-dervish's advice myself.
The country's going broke and we just didn't spend enough to fix it.
I'm not doing real well right now so I'd better go max out all my credit cards pronto!
Maybe I can spend myself into prosperity...
The Keynesian vs. non-Keynesian debate, Volt. It doesn't look like it's going to be going away any time soon, does it? Welcome back, btw.
Equating an individual's personal finances and an entire country's finances is a false analogy. They are not the same. Deficit spending to stimulate the economy has a proven track record. It pulled us out of the Great Depression. Tightening the belt (which I'm hearing a lot about from the Repubican running for governor where I live in Tennessee) is a proven failure. It's what Hoover did at the beginning of the depression.
Rubio is another Republican who wants to return us to the failed policies of the bush administration.
Americans LOVE the program and policies brought to us by Liberalism. Liberal programs like the minimum wage and Medicare have "improved Americans' quality of life, reduced poverty rates and promoted equality of opportunity for women and minorities in the 20th century". This is from an essay by EJ Dionne, a name I've heard mentioned on this blog.
The "downturn" we're experiencing now can trace it's roots back to Reagan. I give him an "F". One of the absolute worst presidents.
Oso, here are a couple of articles about Rubio I think give some insight into the man. Note: Articles found using the Google and not pulled straight from my ass.
Marco Rubio's Fact-Free Anti-Union Rant.
Marco Rubio's Economic Worldview.
wd - Rusty, Volt, and even double b (I think) would probably all give Reagan an A.....You give him an F. I gave him a B minus.....Isn't America awesome?
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